Never Meant You Harm
by spirithorse
Summary: AU. Nineteen years after her brother's death, Nunnally gets a shocking surprise. Sequel to My Mirror, Sword and Shield.


**Author's Note:** Alright, this is kind of the epilogue to My Mirror, Sword and Shield. It's more to wrap up a loose end that was bothering me than anything else, but I don't really think that it fits as an epilogue. The title is taken from the Coldplay song, Trouble.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Code Geass, just this plot

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><p><strong>Never Meant You Harm<strong>

_April 17, 2037_

Nunnally looked up from her book as there was a knock on the door, carefully slipping her bookmark in place before speaking. "Come in."

She smiled as she saw her two knights trail in, Gino beaming and Anya with her usual blank expression. Nunnally leaned back in her wheelchair, setting her book down to the side before moving towards them, motioning for them to sit. She leaned forward, unable to keep her excitement from showing.

For the first time in nineteen years, she was back in the place that always felt like home. Japan had asked to revise a trade treaty with Britannia, something that usually would have been Schneizel's duty. But luck had been with her, Schneizel was busy with some of the countries in the EU, hoping to prevent a war between themselves and, later Britannia. Nunnally fervently hoped that her older brother would be able to do it; she wanted the peace to last.

But, the growing tensions between the EU and Britannia had given her chance to return to Japan, something that she had been wanted to do for years. Sadly, it wasn't for long. The treaty had taken up most of the time, Nunnally stuck in meetings with the prime minister and his advisors. She had been surprised to see that Ohgi was still in the government, despite nearing fifty. The last time she had seen him was at his wedding to Villetta Nu, a Britannia baron that had come over to assist Gino while he had been serving as the viceroy to Japan before the country had gained its freedom.

Kallen was another familiar face at the negotiations, the former ace pilot of the Black Knights serving as the head of the guards that protected the prime minister and the councilors. Kallen had been less visibly happy to see Nunnally, although the two of them had spent many of their breaks together and Kallen had invited Nunnally over whenever the empress had a break in her schedule. Strangely enough, Kallen had invited Gino over many times as well.

Nunnally smiled knowingly, glancing over at Gino. She wouldn't stop Gino if he wanted to pursue a relationship with Kallen. She would even figure out a way to have him stationed in Japan if that's what he wanted. Jeremiah would be relieved to be put back into active duty, Nunnally privately thinking that the older knight would enjoy it more than his hobby of growing oranges.

She shook her head, forcing herself to focus on her knights. She had given them the day off since she was finalizing the treaty and Kallen had been at her side all day. Nunnally had returned to her rooms at noon, where she had been guarded, leaving her knights free to explore the city. Nunnally tilted her head to the side, catching sight of a bruise just under Gino's jaw, hiding her smile. Or, as much of the city as they could manage.

Nunnally leaned back, resting her arms on the armrests of her wheelchair. "Did you two have a good time?"

"Yes." Anya was completely focused on her electronic diary, looking through the pictures there with a frown on her face.

Nunnally watched her carefully before deciding that Anya was alright. Anya's moments of memory loss had gotten worse after Suzaku's faked suicide, sometimes lasting for days instead of just hours. It had been enough to make Nunnally want to ask Anya to retire, but then Anya wouldn't have anyone to help her through those moments.

She decided to let Gino go first, and then the blond knight could help her convince Anya to talk. Nunnaly shifted so she was facing Gino. "So, how much of the city did you manage to see?"

Gino smiled sheepishly and raised his hand to press against the hickey, hiding it from Nunnally. "I got to wander around a bit before I met with Kallen." He wiggled his eyebrows at that, making Nunnally laugh. He laughed as well, shaking his head. "I visited some of the touristy sites and made another visit to Suzaku."

Nunnally pressed her lips together, looking away. Neither Gino nor Anya knew that the coffin resting beneath the headstone was empty. Suzaku was still out there somewhere, spending the rest of his life wandering in any country but Britannia. Sometimes, Nunnally was tempted to call him back and apologize. She wanted to cut his sentence short, but she wouldn't know what to do with him then. There was no way to explain that Suzaku had never been dead and there was no way that she knew of to contact him. True to his word, Suzaku had simply disappeared from the face of the world.

She looked up as Gino rested a hand on her shoulder. "That's a pretty nice headstone that you made for him. 'Here lies a consummate and invaluable Knight to His Highness Lelouch vi Britannia ninety-ninth Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire.' Very nice."

"It's what he was and he deserved that much. I just can't believe I left it for so long. He really did deserve better."

Gino reached out to take one of her hands, giving it a gentle squeeze. "He understands. He was very understanding."

"He was." Nunnally felt herself tearing up, quickly wiping the tears away. Suzaku wasn't even dead and she was crying for him. She cleared her throat. "We'll have to make an official visit and lay flowers on the grave."

Gino nodded, sitting back and looking at Anya. The blond knight gave her a little nudge. "Come on, spill. What were you doing all day?"

"I was at the park. It was beautiful." Nunnally wanted to ask which park, but kept her mouth shut. It was better to just let Anya talk, she could find out the specifics later.

Anya's frown disappeared as she found what she was looking for in her diary. She handed the small device to Nunnally.

Nunnally glanced at her knight before holding it up, staring at the picture. She couldn't identify the park, but it looked beautiful. She sighed, hating that the treaty had taken so long as her eyes were drawn to the two central figures in the picture, her mouth dropping open in shock.

There were two boys lying on the grass, one propped up against the tree reading a book while the other rested in his lap. The one lying on the ground had curly brown hair, green eyes and looked like he was wearing a school uniform, the jacket black and gold. The one leaning on the tree was in more casual clothes, with straight black hair and purple eyes.

Nunnally felt her breath catch in her throat as he looked at the picture, wondering if she was going insane. She let out her breath as Gino leaned over to look at the picture, pointing a shaking finger at the figure lying on the ground. "Is that…"

Anya didn't answer his question, instead leaning forward and pointing at the boy leaning against the tree. "Same Lelouch?"

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><p><em>April 18, 2037<em>

Suzaku paused, wiping the sweat off of his forehead. He leaned on the end of his shovel, turning to look at the rest of the student council as they made their way across the roof. Why the Gardening Club wasn't helping with the rooftop garden was beyond him, but Milly's word was law. And she had said that she wanted to have a garden built on the roof, a place where students could relax. There had been some speech following about how it was their duty to help the students of Ashford Academy, but Suzaku had tuned it out because Lelouch had texted him.

Of course, he had gotten hit over the head with rolled up paper for being distracted while Milly was giving a speech.

That still didn't explain why Milly hadn't asked the Gardening Club to lend them a hand with it, although there really wasn't much to do. There were just the two beds, one already finished with the holes dug. Milly, Shirley and Nina were working there, pulling the plants out of their pots and planting them; which left him and Rivalz with the hard work of digging and hauling the plants around.

Suzaku looked at the pile of mulch waiting for the first bed, biting back a groan. He couldn't stop his hand from sneaking to his right side, pressing against the scar there. His whole side ached, and it had been aching since this morning when he had slipped while attempting to avoid Arthur. He had knocked his side against the edge of a chair before hitting the floor and curling up in pain. Lelouch and Cecile had panicked, worrying that he had broken his ribs again, but Suzaku had waved them off. Now, after shoveling all afternoon, he was wishing that he hadn't waved off their offer of pain medication.

The fact that he was hot and sweaty didn't help either, his t-shirt sticking to his skin.

For a moment, Suzaku envied Rivalz, his friend working on finishing his hole. Rivalz had peeled off his shirt and had thrown it on one of the benches as soon as he had started sweating. Suzaku suspected that it had to do with his attempts to catch Milly's attention, and he wasn't going to ruin it for Rivalz by taking his own shirt off and giving Milly another body to stare at. For one, he was taken. For another, there were his scars to think about.

Suzaku gave his side one last rub before walking over to where the girls were working. "Second bed is ready to go."

Milly looked up, pushing her sun hat back and smiling. "Thanks Suzaku. Take a break, you've earned it."

He gave her a thankful smile before walking over to a spot of shade and sinking into it. He rested his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. His body was aching all over, his side, his left shoulder, his legs. He hadn't done this much work in a while, and he was disappointed that he was getting this out of shape. Suzaku swallowed, mentally making a note to work out a bit more, no matter how good Lelouch was at distracting him.

Suzaku looked up as he felt the shadow deepen, opening his eyes to see Shirley crouching beside him. The red head took off her gloves, setting them down and handing him a water bottle. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm just a bit tired." He took a sip, jerking his head in the direction of Milly and Nina. "You guys are getting the easy jobs."

"Milly says it's because you'd just mess it up." Shirley laughed and sat down beside him, sipping from her own water bottle. "I think she just likes watching you two work. She was probably hoping that you would take off your shirt and show off a bit. I did remind her that you were taken."

"Thanks, Shirley."

"Hey Suzaku!" He looked up as Milly shouted his name, pointing at the bags of mulch. "Come on! This one is ready! Shirley, back to planting."

"I've been summoned." Shirley chuckled, picking up her gloves and rushing off.

Suzaku watched them, shaking his head as they immediately began to talk quickly. He stood up as Rivalz walked over, shaking his head. "Man. They treat us like their work horses."

"We are their work horses, Rivalz." Suzaku bent down to pick up one of the bags, winking at Rivalz "But don't worry, we'll get them back eventually."

"But we only have until the end of this year!"

"That's plenty of time. Now, help me haul stuff."

Rivalz laughed and bent down to wrestle his own bag into position. Suzaku straightened up a moment to relieve his aching side, only for Rivalz to slap his leg. "Hey, focus on the job. I don't want you staring at me."

"You and your manly body?" The both laughed as they bent to pick up the mulch back, Suzaku struggling for a moment. "You are aware that I am taken."

"Mm, and acting like a married couple if Milly is right."

Suzaku laughed, relieved that Rivalz had taken his confession of dating a guy without much protest. Rivalz just used it as an opportunity to remind Milly that he was straight, single, and very available, not that it helped him much. But it was better than the stares and the almost frightened looks that he caught on the other guys.

He shook his head and went to pick up the bag, managing to lift it slightly from the ground before his side protested. Suzaku hesitated for a moment before shifting it, hoping that he could just compensate for his injury, only to have his left shoulder start hurting. Suzaku shifted the bag again, closing his eyes and hoping that this try would work, only to have to set the bag down and straighten up. He gritted his teeth, taking deep breaths as he waited the pain out.

Suzaku jerked as he felt a hand land on his shoulder, opening his eyes and finding that Rivalz was staring at him. Rivalz patted his shoulder before turning to look over at Milly. "Hey, I think you broke Suzaku."

The blonde looked up from where she was patting dirt around a bush. She tipped her sun hat back to look at them. "I don't see how that's even possible." Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him, Suzaku shifting nervously under her gaze. Milly sighed and stood up, dusting her hands off as she walked over to them. "But if that's the case, then by presidential order, you will rest."

Suzaku gave her a small smile, shaking his head. "I'm fine. Just give me a minute."

Milly poked his side, Suzaku yelping and pulling away from her. He blushed at the knowing smile that Milly sent his way. "Right. Humor me and rest. It has to be something big to bring you down."

Suzaku ducked his head. "I tripped over Arthur this morning…"

"That cat is trying to kill you." Rivalz slapped his shoulder, Suzaku stumbling forward in surprise. Rivalz shot him an apologetic smile before returning to the pile of bags. "Listen to Milly, rest for a bit and maybe you'll feel better. If you don't, I don't think she'll make you stay. She's afraid of your boyfriend coming and beating her up."

"Lelouch?"

"Alright." Rivalz laughed, reaching down for the next bag. "Maybe not that, but he can be intimidating."

Suzaku laughed, sitting down in the shade again. He felt bad for leaving Rivalz to do his work as well, but he was sure that the entire student council would gang up on him and force him to rest. Then there was Cecile and Lelouch to worry about. If he showed any sign of injury he was sure that Lelouch wouldn't let him leave their room.

He smiled and tipped his head back. He would just have to be more careful then, although he had thought that everything was properly healed. It had technically been a year since he had gotten hurt. Apparently, in this case, fully healed just meant alright until he knocked it against something hard enough. Suzaku winced and rubbed his side. He would just have to deal with the consequences and be a bit more careful, although he was sure that Lelouch would have to remind him of that.

Suzaku jumped as his phone vibrated in his pocket, glancing up to see if Milly was watching before taking it out. He was on a break, so he was probably allowed to answer the phone, but it was a habit. Milly wanted council work to come first.

He shook his head and held the phone up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hello yourself."

Suzaku sighed, slumping against the wall at the familiar voice on the other end. "Hey Lelouch. You done at the library?"

"Finally." Suzaku could just imagine Lelouch stretching, smiling at the thought. "I should have everything for that paper now. Although it was frustrating gathering evidence for what I witnessed myself."

"Hm…that's life."

"I guess it is." He heard Lelouch sigh on the other end. "How are you able to talk anyway? I was sure Milly would have caught you by now."

"I'm on a break."

"She gives breaks?"

"Stop it, Lelouch." Suzaku laughed. "Of course she does. She gave me one."

"Because of your side?" Suzaku was silent, that seeming to be enough of an answer for Lelouch. "Is it alright?"

"I'm fine, just a bit sore. Quit worrying."

"I will as soon as you stop pushing yourself to far, idiot." Suzaku laughed at the last muttered word, knowing that Lelouch would be blushing. Suzaku was just trying to figure out the best way to tease Lelouch when the other spoke up again. "I'm coming to see you."

"What?"

"Milly probably won't mind the extra pair of hands and someone has to make sure you don't do anything stupid."

"I have the rest of the student council to do that."

"Yes." Suzaku heard the impatience in Lelouch's voice, belatedly realizing what Lelouch was doing. Lelouch didn't like to admit that he wanted to be near Suzaku or that he was making an excuse to come and see him, he just did it. Suzaku was trying to talk him out of it, but he partially understood the impulse. After being raised in the royal court of Britannia, Lelouch was used to hiding his emotions. To him, emotions were things that could be used by others, which meant a loss of control. And control was the one thing that Lelouch would try to keep above all other things.

Suzaku sighed, tipping his head to the side. "Alright. Come on over and you can do the honor of walking me home."

"The honor? I do that all the time."

"There have been a few times when you haven't."

"Because of classes. Suzaku, you have it easy still being in high school."

"Only until the end of this year. Then I'll be joining you in your late night research sessions." They both laughed, Suzaku looking up and catching Milly's gaze. He sighed and stood up. "Alright. I'll see you then."

As expected, Lelouch just hung up. Suzaku rolled his eyes and shut the phone. Lelouch was getting better, getting used to the idea that he could show affection for Suzaku and not be putting them in danger. Part of it was just that Lelouch had never been physically affectionate towards anyone but Nunnally, and Suzaku was alright with that. He was still a little afraid of holding Lelouch's hand and displaying affection in public.

He slowly got up, glad to find that the ache in his shoulder was gone. His side still hurt, but it was something that he used to. He walked over to where Milly was working, crouching next to her. He was about to speak, but she beat him to it. "Your dearly beloved call?"

Suzaku blushed and turned his head away, flinching as he heard Milly laugh. "I thought so. And he's coming over to see you." She reached out to ruffle his hair. "That's sweet of him. Is he aware that I will put him to work?"

"Yes."

"Good." She moved over, gesturing at the potted plants. "I think you can pull them out without hurting yourself."

"Right away, ma'am." Suzaku gave Milly a salute, moving out of the way as she went to ruffle his hair again. He smiled, bending over to start his new task.

To his relief, it didn't bother his side as much, probably because he could stay seated for the majority of the task. He slowly made his way around the plot in front of the girls, sometimes being called back to hold a bush in place while soil and fertilizer was patted down around it.

He managed to lose himself in the job, jumping as his phone vibrated in his pocket. Suzaku apologized to Shirley, stepping out of the garden and checking the text.

'_Here.'_

Suzaku turned to face the doors to the roof, pausing when he heard a shout from behind him. He tucked the phone back in his pocket, looking over his shoulder. He tipped his head to the side in confusion, hesitating a moment. Lelouch would find him easily, it was hard not to. And something was obviously going on, especially if Milly was also leaning on the rail. He walked over to where his friends were standing, looking at their faces before looking down.

His hand tightened on the rail, Suzaku starting down at the three figures that were emerging from the car. He knew them, knew them all so well. But the problem was that they weren't supposed to be here. He wasn't supposed to be here either. And Lelouch…

Lelouch couldn't be seen.

Suzaku pushed away from the railing, turning and running for the doors to the stairs. It didn't matter if his friends thought he was acting weird. All that mattered was that he found Lelouch and they both left before something happened. If those three did talk to his friends, he would just have to hope that they would just write it off. Suzaku had become a popular name since he had changed the future, the Japanese people who had been loyal to the emperor choosing to use it. And Lelouch had grown popular among the Britannian people, just because it had been the name of an emperor and the emperor's name had always been popular after his death. They could probably get away with that alone.

He grabbed the end of one railing, quickly swinging around the corner and almost running into Lelouch. Suzaku stumbled back a step before looking up at the roof. No one had come down yet, so that meant he was safe enough for now. He grabbed Lelouch's wrist and started dragging him down the stairs, ignoring his protests. They would have to hide in a classroom, hopefully a ground floor one. Then they could climb out the window and escape.

He stopped as Lelouch pulled out of his grip, turning to glare at him. "What are you doing?"

"There's no time to explain." Suzaku made another grab at Lelouch, missing as Lelouch took a step back. He glared at his boyfriend before shaking his head. "Nunnally is here."

"Yes, she's negotiating a treaty." Lelouch narrowed his eyes. "It's been on the news. I don't see why…" Lelouch's eyes widened as he finally realized what Suzaku was saying. "Nunnally…"

Suzaku nodded, taking Lelouch's hand and beginning to lead him down the stairs again. "I know you want to meet her, Lelouch, but-"

"I'm dead."

"Sorry." Suzaku looked over his shoulder, hating that Lelouch was just staring at the floor. It was his fault that Lelouch couldn't see his sister. It was his fault that Lelouch was stuck in this time in the first place. On the day of Lelouch's assassination, he had panicked and acted without thinking, taking Lelouch away into the future without speaking to Nunnally about it.

Now, a year later, he could think of so many different ways he could have handled the situation. But none of those would work now; he was stuck dealing with the one in front of him. And Lelouch was too, that was the worst part. He hadn't even allowed Lelouch to choose what he wanted.

Suzaku ducked his head as he rushed down the last flight of stairs, adjusting his grip on Lelouch's wrist so that he wasn't bruising him. "We'll have to hide. At least until they are distracted."

Lelouch made a soft noise of agreement, Suzaku turning to look at him. Lelouch was staring at the ground, his shoulders slumping forward. Suzaku flinched and reached out to touch Lelouch's cheek. "I'm sorry."

Lelouch just leaned into his touch, Suzaku taking that moment to brush his thumb over Lelouch's cheekbone. He would have to find some way to make this up to Lelouch. Just listening to her speeches and watching Nunnally on television wouldn't be the same, not after having lived with her for so many years.

Suzaku took a step back, carefully backing down the hall. He wasn't going to pull Lelouch to escape, he would let Lelouch choose; even though it wasn't much of a choice in the first place. Suzaku swallowed and kept backing down the hall, glad when Lelouch followed. He gave Lelouch a smile, raising Lelouch's hand to kiss his knuckles.

"Suzaku…"

"Yes, your majesty." Suzaku took a hold of Lelouch's hand again, their fingers sliding against each other. He would get Lelouch out of here, before he could see Nunnally. It would hurt more if Lelouch got a glimpse of Nunnally.

They ran through the halls, Suzaku glancing back at Lelouch every so often. He stumbled to a stop at the sound of voices; jerking his head up to watch as a group of people came down the hall. He muttered a curse before turning around and running in the other direction. They wouldn't be able to get out through the front doors, which just left them with climbing out a window or the back door. He would ask Lelouch which would be better, but Lelouch was in his funk at the moment, following where Suzaku led him.

Suzaku pulled Lelouch past the stairs, freezing when he heard Rivalz shout after him. "Hey, where are you going, Suzaku? The empress is here!"

He turned slowly, about to yell at Rivalz to shut up when he realized that the group had stopped. Suzaku tensed, staring at the woman in the wheelchair while keeping a strong grip on Lelouch's hand. There was no running from this now. He sighed and took a step back, settling into an almost defensive position in front of Lelouch. He was sure that Nunnally recognized it, and that had to be the reason she gestured toward them.

"You two, come forward."

Suzaku gritted his teeth, tempted to just run. She wasn't technically in charge of Japan, so he wouldn't get in too much trouble for just running off. He could always say he was just shy or something. But the look on Lelouch's face stopped him, the look of pure longing on Lelouch's face.

He stared at Lelouch for a moment before dropping his gaze to the ground. He had forced so much on Lelouch since coming back from the past; it was only fair to have Lelouch make this choice. Suzaku swallowed, making sure to keep his voice to a whisper. "What do you want?"

Lelouch's hand jerked in his, Suzaku not looking up. He didn't want to see the expression on Lelouch's face, the surprise or the joy at being able to make this choice. He just wanted the answer, it was easier that way. He felt Lelouch squeeze his hand before responding. "Please."

Suzaku nodded slowly, looking up at where the empress sat, feeling his stomach churn. He would have to face Nunnally after lying to her and keeping her brother away from her. He had been banished from Britannia and all of its former territories with death waiting for him if he returned. He wasn't sure if she would still kill him for not obeying now, not after nineteen years. His best bet would be that she wouldn't recognize him, but even that wouldn't happen. Not with Lelouch. Lelouch would try his best to get Nunnally to recognize him.

He allowed his shoulders to slump, curling up slightly on himself. Lelouch took that as the signal to take the lead, Suzaku allowing himself to be pulled forward, trailing after Lelouch now. He peered up through his bangs, watching as the man that was leading them pointed to a room, Gino and Anya escorting Nunnally in before disappearing, probably to stand guard on the door on either side. Suzaku swallowed and let his gaze drop to the ground again, closing his eyes as they walked into the room.

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><p>Lelouch gripped Suzaku's hand tightly as they walked into the empty classroom, his gaze not moving from where his sister sat. He wanted nothing more than to rush across the room to hug her, but there were too many things stopping him. He was highly aware of the blue contacts he wore to hide his eyes and the nineteen years that had passed. He could read those nineteen years in the slight bags under Nunnally's eyes and the wrinkles on her face. He frowned, quickly calculating her age.<p>

She would be thirty-four now. His little sister was thirty-four years old, and he was only nineteen. He didn't really have the right to call her his little sister anymore.

That thought brought him up short. Nunnally wasn't really his little sister, Lelouch vi Britannia was dead. It didn't matter any more, he couldn't do this to her, no matter what he wanted. Nunnally was a strong woman, capable of ruling an empire and he didn't want to take her away from that. But that didn't change how much he wanted to be recognized by her, how much he wanted her to know that he was alive and alright.

Lelouch tipped his head to the side, tugging gently on Suzaku's hand in an attempt to bring him closer. But Suzaku stood his ground, still staring at the carpet. Lelouch shifted his grip, wrapping his fingers around Suzaku's wrist and pulling him closer.

It was only then that he remembered to bow.

He flinched before bowing at the waist, his eyes widening as he watched Suzaku go down on one knee, the proper knight's bow. Lelouch stared at him, calculating at the angle of his bow and realizing his mistake. He had just greeted Nunnally as an equal, one emperor to an empress.

Lelouch straightened up and took a step back, aware that Suzaku remained on the ground, where he probably would stay until he was told to get up. Lelouch swallowed and reached for Suzaku's shoulder, stopping halfway through the motion when Nunnally spoke. "The boy called you Suzaku."

Suzaku tensed, but his gaze remained firmly on the ground. "It's a popular name, your majesty, because of mythology…and the knight that served your brother."

"Yes, I know that." Nunnally moved her wheelchair closer, Lelouch's heart beating faster as Nunnally reached out to tip Suzaku's chin up. "But you can't blame me for being curious about the coincidence. And you do look remarkably like him…exactly like him."

Lelouch saw Suzaku tremble and drew his hand back. He hadn't thought about what Nunnally had done to Suzaku. She must have found him on that day to set up his false suicide, but Suzaku had never told him what his punishment had been. Nunnally, for all her kindness, was still a vi Britannia. She still had the temper of her mother and the fierce urge to protect everyone that she loved.

Suddenly, seeing his sister again didn't seem like a good idea anymore. He had just been thinking about himself, about how much he wanted a glimpse of the old life he had once had. Just one glimpse and then he could continue with his life again.

He licked his lips and took a step forward. "Your majesty…"

Suzaku shot him a look, quickly turning his attention to Nunnally again. "It could be coincidence."

"But it isn't, is it?" Nunnally smiled softy and dropped her hand into her lap. "Not many Japanese teenagers know the formal bow of a knight to the emperor or can execute it so flawlessly. And not many Japanese people would bow before the empress of Britannia, not without hesitation." Lelouch watched as Nunnally took a quick breath. "Stand and remove your shirt."

Suzaku stared at her before rising to his feet. He glanced back at Lelouch, before reaching for the hem of his shirt. Lelouch felt like he should do something, stop Suzaku before something happened. He swallowed, reaching up to take out his contacts, stopping when he saw Suzaku shake his head.

It seemed to take forever for Suzaku to peel his t-shirt off, Lelouch see him flinch as he worked the right side over his head. Lelouch stopped himself from rushing forward, torn between helping Suzaku and yelling at him for stripping in front of Nunnally.

Suzaku grunted as he finally pulled his shirt off, holding it in one hand as he stood in front of Nunnally.

Nunnally gasped, reaching up to cover her mouth, Lelouch closing his eyes. She would be seeing Suzaku's three scars, the ones that he hid from everyone; one long one up his right side, one across his chest and a third puckered scar on his right shoulder. All of them were enough to prove that Suzaku was really the Suzaku Kururugi that she had known.

Suzaku remained standing for a moment more before pulling his shirt back on, Lelouch watching as Suzaku struggled with one side. He started forward, only to stop himself. Strangely enough, he felt like he didn't belong. Nunnally was his sister and Suzaku was still his knight, but he was the odd man out. He had no real evidence to show Nunnally that he was who he claimed to be, aside from taking out his contacts. Even then he wasn't sure that his eyes alone were enough. So, he was the one left out. It was ironic; he had come here hoping to meet with his sister again only to be the one hovering on the edge.

He looked up as Nunnally spoke. "I…I banished you."

"Yeah. In my defense, I though I could get away with this."

"No. No." Nunnally bit her lip. "I mean, I won't make you run. That was…that was cruel of me. I was only thinking about myself then."

"I probably deserved it."

"Suzaku." Lelouch didn't realize that he had spoken until Nunnally and Suzaku turned to stare at him. He swallowed, but didn't waver.

It was a habit that he had gotten into, reminding Suzaku with a touch or his name when Suzaku was being a bit too harsh on himself. Lelouch understood that Suzaku still probably thought that it was his fault his mother had died, and that he was amazed that he had been picked up on the streets. Everything that Suzaku had gone through in the past probably hadn't helped Suzaku's self esteem either, but it was pointless for Suzaku to keep doing this to himself. And, from what Lelouch could see, it worked.

But now it had drawn Nunnally's attention to him. Lelouch swallowed and calmly met her gaze. There was nothing he could do but stand there for the time being and hope that she didn't ask too much of him. He could just kneel by her side and hope that she would recognize him, it had been too long for that and all the evidence said that he was dead. It was better to remain quiet and hope that she didn't ask him who he was. It would look bad if Suzaku admitted that he was dating someone not a year after he had returned from the past.

To his surprise Nunnally looked at him, really looked at him before turning back to Suzaku. When she spoke, her voice was shaky. "I demand an explanation."

"Your majesty?"

"That…" Nunnally trailed off, shaking her head before gesturing at Lelouch. "Who is he?"

Suzaku glanced over at him before offering a hand, Lelouch looking at it before shaking his head. He would stay here and think of something, some excuse or lie to get Nunnally to leave. He had seen her and that would tide him over until her next speech. The choice hurt, but there was nothing else he could do.

He looked up as Suzaku took his hand, taking a step forward when Suzaku tugged. "Nunnally, this is Lelouch."

"L-Lelouch."

Lelouch stared at Suzaku, managing to shake his head. They couldn't do this to Nunnally, not after he had hurt her before and certainly not after it had hurt so much to let her go himself.

Suzaku didn't seem to notice, leading him right up to Nunnally's wheelchair and kneeling down. "Yes. I'm sorry that I lied to you, but I just couldn't let anything happen to him."

"B-but how?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Lelouch tried to wiggle out of Suzaku's grip, surprised when Nunnally grabbed his other hand. He tensed, turning to look at Nunnally. A tug on his hand brought Lelouch down to his knees, Nunnally letting go of him to cup his face in her hands. He met her gaze, holding still as Nunnally stared at his face. Then she closed her eyes and began to trace over his face with shaking fingers. Lelouch sucked in a quick breath but kept still. Of all the ways that he had thought of to get Nunnally would recognize him; this had not been one of them.

She would remember the way his face was structured, for a whole summer Nunnally had been blind. She had been forced to rely on her sense of touch, and even now she sometimes fell back on it. But that summer he had helped her through her nightmares, waking her up and bringing her hands to his face so she could be sure that he was really there.

He blinked as she jerked back, staring at him before giving a half choked sob. Lelouch barely had time to process the sound before Nunnally had pushed herself out of her wheelchair and into his arms.

Lelouch jerked his hand out of Suzaku's grip, using it to steady himself as Nunnally clung to him. He glanced down at his sister before looking back at Suzaku, his decision made in a split second. Lelouch wrapped his arms around Nunnally and held her close, aware that she was crying on his shoulder. And he didn't care. He smiled and pressed his face into her hair.

She smelled different. Nunnally had once smelled of flowers, like the gardens she spent most of her time in. Now she smelled like books and had a faint fruity smell from her shampoo. It wasn't the scent he had known since his childhood and it made him jerk back a bit. Nunnally was an adult now, and he had never really processed what that had meant until now. His little sister had grown up without him.

He wrapped his arms more tightly around her when she tried to pull away, disappointed when she wiggled out of his grip.

Nunnally settled to the floor in front of him, holding his hand. "I can't believe it. This has to be a trick."

"Nunnally," Suzaku scooted over, glancing at Lelouch before jerking his head to the side.

Lelouch cleared his throat, not knowing why Suzaku wanted him to speak for them. He glanced behind him, catching sight of both Gino and Anya staring at that. He smiled and waved Suzaku off, Suzaku getting up and walking over to talk to the knights. Lelouch waited long enough to see Suzaku snatched off the ground by one of Gino's hugs while Anya took pictures before turning to face Nunnally.

"Listen, it's kind of hard to believe."

"That's what Suzaku said."

Lelouch laughed, squeezing her hand. "It's true. It was time travel."

"No."

"How do you explain this then?" Lelouch let go of her hands, carefully taking out his contacts. "Same eye color, same facial structure."

He put his contacts back in, blinking to get them to settle into place. Then Lelouch leaned forward, kissing her forehead. "I'm nineteen, Nunnally. I turned nineteen last December. But you turned thirty-four last October. I was always three years older than you. And, suddenly, you're fifteen years older than me."

"Does this mean I get to boss you around?"

"No." Lelouch pretended to look affronted, allowing himself a smile when Nunnally laughed. He shook his head and settled back. "That is still my privilege."

She hummed, lifting up his hand to play with his fingers. "So, time travel?"

"Yes. Suzaku apparently went back in time accidentally and befriended us. He meant to allow things to go the way they happened before, but he couldn't stop himself. So, I ended up back here."

Nunnally looked up at him. "How did they go before?"

Lelouch took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I died. Before he changed things, I really did die, just the way they all thought I died this time."

Nunnally dropped his hand, staring at him. Lelouch automatically reached out to hug her. "It's alright, Nunnally, I'm safe."

"You said he changed things."

"He did. Suzaku saved me, Nunnally."

"But…"

"I know." He pulled her closer to him. "I know it was horrible and I know I should have contacted you earlier."

"But I wouldn't have been able to do anything."

Lelouch closed his eyes, forcing himself to keep talking. "Yes. And you can't do anything now."

"Lelouch."

"Nunnally, I can't go back there, not if I want to stay alive." He looked away when she tried to meet his gaze. "I'm alright here and you know I am. But you can't just have me appear out of nowhere at court. Schneizel and Cornelia will recognize me and I can't have that happen. It would…I just can't."

He felt her place a hand against his cheek, turning his head when she pressed lightly against his face. Lelouch carefully met Nunnally's eyes, waiting to see the tears and partially hoping that she would demand that he stayed with her.

"You can't put Suzaku in danger, is that it?"

Lelouch glanced over at where Suzaku was chatting with Gino and Anya, the two men leaning over to look at the pictures on Anya's electronic diary.

As much as he wanted to stay with Nunnally, he also wanted to stay with Suzaku, to make sure that Suzaku didn't get hurt for what he had done. And to make sure that Suzaku didn't end up hurting himself.

Lelouch sighed and stared at the ground, surprised when Nunnally tilted his chin back up. "Here's a command from the empress of Britannia, Lelouch. Stay here." His surprised must have shown on his face, because Nunnally smiled and reached up to brush her fingers over his cheeks. "And here's a request from your sister. Be happy."

"Nunnally…"

"You deserve it. You set up everything to make this possible, and you came up with everything that I would need." She smiled, sitting back. "I don't think I could do all of this on my own. So, thank you."

"I never meant for it to be you though."

"Can you think of a better person?"

Lelouch looked at her, his sister full of smiles and laughter, and he couldn't think of a better person. No one in the royal family of Britannia would have been willing to give the world this chance after losing their sibling. No one would have worked harder to make sure it was peaceful than Nunnally, because it was what she had wanted. No one but Nunnally would know how hard it was to live in a world built around the strong oppressing the weak and she would be the one who would sympathize enough with the weak to make everything work.

He sat back on his heels and shook his head. There was no one else he could think of that could have done this. In creating a perfect world for Nunnally, he had created the perfect world to be ruled by Nunnally, and that disturbed him. He had been hoping for a world where they could have escaped the royal family and just lived the way that they had when they had been in Japan, because they had both loved that life. It was missing many of the things that they had been used to, but they had adjusted, because they had to. But there was no going back now, not when Nunnally seemed happy enough in her job and he was starting to enjoy himself.

Still, he had to know. Lelouch cleared his throat and looked up at Nunnally. "Are you happy?"

She stared at him before rolling her eyes, practically whining his name. "Lelouch."

"No. I need to know. Are you happy?"

Nunnally sighed. "Yes. I am. Not as much as I could be, but it's enough."

"Nunnally, you deserve-"

"And what about what you deserve?" She glared at him, Lelouch taken aback by the look. "You have done so much for me and for the world but you can't just let it go. Lelouch, I'm old enough to take care of myself now. For once would you just look after yourself?"

He stared at her, that enough to make Nunnally groan and shake her head. "Honestly, I feel like I should stay behind and look after you!"

"What? No! I can take care of myself."

"Then prove it to me." Nunnally smiled, and Lelouch realized that he had walked into a trap. He stared at Nunnally, not quite able to believe what she had pulled on him.

Unable to come up with a response, Lelouch just huffed and looked away. "Fine."

"Good. I'm glad that settled." He heard her laugh, not looking back at her even when she grabbed a hold of his hands. "I'll go back to Pendragon and make sure everything is running smoothly and you'll stay here and live your own life for once."

His mouth dropped open in shock, Lelouch turning to look at her to catch Nunnally's sweet smile. She patted his arm gently. "Now, would you help me back into my wheelchair? I'm afraid that's all the time we have."

Lelouch nodded; disappointed that he couldn't just lift her into her wheelchair anymore, now she had to help him by pulling herself up part of the way. It was just another reminder that Nunnally was no longer his little sister.

He stood behind the wheelchair, watching Gino and Anya carefully to see if they would protest. Neither knight did, both of them stepping to the side as he walked through the door. Lelouch swallowed and immediately launched into a description of the school, most of it gleaned from the stories that Suzaku would tell when he got home. Nunnally laughed at all of the right parts and asked him only the briefest of questions. To anyone that looked, it would seem like nothing more than the empress talking to a student, and that's how the both of them wanted it to look.

He took her out to where her car was waiting, carefully helping her in before bowing, remembering this time to use a deeper bow. He was no longer the emperor, her equal, he was just another person. Lelouch shivered, turning to walk away only to have Nunnally catch his arm. She waved him down to her level, smiling as she looked at him. "Always remember that I love you, alright?"

"Of course."

Nunnally nodded, poking his forearm. "Say it back."

He rolled his eyes, smiling. "I love you too."

"Good." She smiled at him before turning her attention to the inside of the car, the change from Nunnally to the empress startling. Lelouch had to stumble back a few steps to physically distance himself from her. He would never get used to that, never get rid of the image of Nunnally as he had known her. Now it was a thing to cherish.

Suzaku caught him before he fell over, wrapping one arm around his waist while the other held onto his arm. He leaned back against Suzaku as Gino and Anya stepped into the car as well, making no move as Nunnally was driven away.

He startled, coming back to himself as Suzaku began to guide him back into the school. Lelouch didn't struggle, reaching out to hold onto Suzaku's arm. They didn't speak until they had gotten into the school, Suzaku letting go of him then and leaning against the wall. "You want to go home?"

Lelouch blinked and shook his head, trying to focus his thoughts again. "Are you done here?"

"I could probably convince Milly to let me go. She thinks we're cute together." Suzaku laughed and tipped his head back. "And she's probably willing to let me go because I'm hurt."

"Stay here. Use your free pass some other time."

Suzaku nodded, stepping away from the wall and resting a hand on Lelouch's shoulder. "Will you be okay?"

"I have to be, I have my orders."

"Orders?" Suzaku raised an eyebrow before pulling Lelouch into a hug. "Lelouch, it's not always about orders."

Lelouch nodded, understanding what Suzaku meant. But Suzaku would never be able to understand, he had never had any siblings. Lelouch had just let Nunnally go, let her be free. There was some part of that action that admitted that she hadn't needed his protection for all of those years, because she could have survived on her own. While he was proud of his little sister, he also suddenly felt useless. Nunnally didn't need him by her side anymore, she was ruling an empire. He had to remain behind, stuck in Japan.

He pressed his face against Suzaku's shoulder. Stuck wasn't the right word for it either. He enjoyed living with Suzaku, he liked being able to watch everything he had worked for come together. There was nothing wrong with the way he was living right now, except that he missed Nunnally.

Suzaku's hand rubbed circles on his back, Lelouch relaxing at that. He changed from bracing himself against Suzaku to pressing up against him, nuzzling along his neck to find a comfortable position. When he had stopped moving, Suzaku spoke. "Will you be alright?"

"Of course I will."

Suzaku snorted at that, but didn't let go of him. Lelouch mentally thanked him for that, allowing himself a moment to just cling to Suzaku as he waited for his world to right itself again.

* * *

><p><em>April 19, 2037<em>

Nunnally smiled and waved at the crowds as she was pushed toward the plane waiting to take her home. It was like this in every country that she went to. People may hate Britannia, but they were always eager to see her. The strange logic was not lost on her, but Nunnally smiled and waved anyway.

She lowered her hand for a moment, turning her attention to the guards that waited by the plane. Back home in Pendragon she probably had reports from Cornelia about how their army was adjusting to the lack of Knightmares, something she had insisted on as soon as she had known that the world was safe. Nunnally was sure that the countries of the world still had Knightmares stowed away; she knew Britannia did, but the point was that no one was using them and developing them. If they went to war, it would be with old and rusting Knightmare Frames, which suited her just fine.

She turned her attention to the people again, surprised when Gino rested a hand on her shoulder. All of her attention was immediately on him. Despite wanting to be out in public as much as possible, she still feared assassination attempts. Even if the one on her brother had been a farce, she had lost too many members of her family that way. Precautions were always taken to try and avoid such attempts, which usually meant that she was surrounded by guards and at least one of her knights.

Nunnally cleared her throat, managing to force a smile back on her face as she looked at the crowd. "How many are there?"

She could see Gino staring at her from the corner of her eye, surprised when the man shook his head. "Uh, no. That's not what this is about." He held out a cell phone. "It's a text for you."

"On your phone?"

Gino blushed. "Well, yeah."

"Is it from Kallen?"

"No!" Nunnally chuckled as Gino shook his head. "I gave my number to Suzaku, since the two of them won't be going to Pendragon. Besides, he'll need a reference for jobs and what better reference than a knight of the Britannian empress."

Nunnally shook her head. Of course Gino would think that way. There was a part of her that desperately wanted to bring both Lelouch and Suzaku back to them, because the last nineteen years had sometimes been painful without them. But they would have to respect their wishes to stay out of sight, especially if it would endanger Lelouch.

She sighed, looking down at the phone and reading the text message. _'Travel safe. I love you, little sister.'_

Nunnally looked up at the crowd, scanning over the people who were the closest before looking up at the windows of the airport.

Lelouch had positioned himself where she could plainly see him, leaning against the windows of the airport with a phone in his hand. She smiled when she saw him and waved in his direction. He was too far away to see if she was waving at him, so she took a chance. She blew a kiss in his direction, watching as Lelouch straightened up suddenly. Now he couldn't deny that she had seen him.

Nunnally laughed to herself, the sound hidden by the roar of the crowd. She turned her attention back to the cell phone, quickly sending her own reply. _'You be careful too.'_

'_When have I not?'_

She shook her head, passing the phone back to Gino and motioning for them to continue. She glanced over her shoulder once, watching the place where her brother was standing. Suzaku was standing behind him in the knight's position, just to Lelouch's right and a few steps behind him. Nunnally felt herself relax at that. With Suzaku here, she could be sure that Lelouch was safe.

Nunnally waved at them one more time before facing the plane, her thoughts on what waited for her in Britannia.

* * *

><p><em>Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome.<em>


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